The present invention is related to the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment and, more specifically, to polypeptides, such as anti-idiotype antibodies, useful in the diagnosis, detection, monitoring, and treatment of neoplasms in a mammal, e.g., a human.
The use of human monoclonal antibodies in diagnosing and treating cancer has great therapeutic potential. Antibodies can prevent further growth of cancer cells and can influence control mechanisms of the cancer cells and thereby initiate the events that lead to apoptosis. The production of human monoclonal antibodies used therapeutically is based on the initial isolation of antibodies that are a component of the cancer patient's immune response. With the production of hybridomas, it is possible to obtain the antibodies in large quantities and above all, in monoclonal form.
Given the therapeutic potential of human monoclonal antibodies, there is a need for agents that can be used to detect the presence of such antibodies in a sample or in a patient.